Former L.A. Mayor’s India Ambassador Nomination Backed By Female Democrats Despite Sex Harassment Scandal

A whistleblower group representing non-profit governments has put the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is Democrat-led, on notice. They called it supporting Eric Garcetti’s nomination as Ambassador to India. “a bitter pill to swallow” His office was accused of covering up sexual assaults and harassment.

Garcetti was thrilled to be nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021. Indicted The mayor’s former top aide allegedly sexually harassed a Los Angeles policeman. The allegations were denied by the former mayor of Los Angeles, who claimed he didn’t witness any inappropriate behavior.

Foreign Relations Committee officials are expected vote on Garcetti’s embattled nomination next week, almost 600 days after his nomination by the Biden Administration.

Chief executive of Whistleblower Aid Libby Liu made a statement about Garcetti being nominated to be the ambassador to India.

“Any support in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for this nominee is a bitter pill to swallow for all those who believe that enabling and covering up sexual harassment and abuse should be disqualifying for public office in America,” Liu said. “The evidence is clear that he is unfit to represent our country anywhere in the world, and especially to the world’s largest democracy with a deeply troubled record on gender-based violence.”

Whistleblower Aid CEO on Eric Garcetti’s nomination to be Ambassador to India.

Why do Democratic Senators Like? @maziehirono and @SenDuckworth supporting a man who enabled and covered up sexual assault and harassment? https://t.co/TDygHlyRsq pic.twitter.com/kJfRF5itYO

— Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) March 1, 2023

The allegations against Garcetti surfaced when the Los Angeles area struggled during COVID as it faced intense lockdowns which partly resulted in people leaving the city. Under Mayor Garcetti, the homelessness problem in Los Angeles also became more of an issue, and he has faced criticism over his inability to combat it.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requested an investigation into Garcetti last year that delayed the mayor’s ambassador nomination Senate confirmation vote.

The report found, according to CBS, that Garcetti “more probable than not” was aware that his former aide Rick Jacobs “sexually harassed multiple individuals and made racist comments towards others.”

“Mr. Jacobs’ behavior was widely known and talked about,” the report reads. “It was pervasive, widespread and notorious — to the point that Mr. Jacobs sexually harassed someone in front of the mayor for a picture that would be memorialized for all of time. Such overt conduct suggests at best that Mr. Jacobs had no fear of any repercussions.”

Democrat female senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois reportedly told Politico they plan on supporting Garcetti’s nomination despite the allegations against him.

“I’m ready to move on,” Hirono said.

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had previously called on the Senate ​​Judiciary Committee to take the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh brought on by Christine Blasey Ford “very seriously.”

She indicated she would also support Garcetti’s nomination.

Other Democrats did not disclose where they stood on the matter, while several others said they were looking into the allegations.

“Some of the issues I want to go over and see how much culpability or responsibility is with him in regards to the sexual harassment,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico.

Last week, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, included Garcetti’s nod in a list of “questionable individuals” nominated by the Biden administration, saying in a press release, “one of these nominees has ignored credible sexual assault accusations in his prior office.”

The issue has left an unprecedented two-year vacancy in New Delhi, which has left Republicans and some Democrats uncertain about supporting Garcetii because of his past actions.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the chair of the Foreign Relations panel, told CNN on Tuesday that he expects the vote for Garcetti’s nomination vote to happen next week.